Latest News from Greece

Critical choices loom ahead of Eurogroup, IMF repayment

Greek officials are bracing for a difficult Eurogroup summit in Brussels on Monday after what promises to be a weekend of feverish negotiations with representatives of Greece?s international creditors as European officials increase the pressure on Athens to compromise and avert a default.

Singer-songwriter Dionysis Tsaknis appointed ERT president

Singer-songwriter Dionysis Tsaknis was appointed president of state broadcaster ERT last Friday.

Born in Karditsa, central Greece, in 1954, Tsaknis studied economics and music in Athens. He has recorded 27 albums and collaborated with noted Greek vocalists and composers.

Meanwhile, journalist Lambis Tagmatarchis was appointed ERT?s chief executive officer.

The Greek debt writedown and Merkel's role in it

 Part II of an analysis of the German chancellor?s relationship with Athens looks at how the decision for a massive restructuring was reached

By Yannis Palaiologos

Weighing education

By Maria Katsounaki

Halki seminary to reopen if Mosque is allowed to operate in Thessaloniki

“Turkey is supporting the immediate reopening of the Halki seminary if Greece allows at least one mosque to operate in Thessaloniki”, stated Turkish President Erdogan, in a meeting on the Armenian genocide issue.

 

A Turkish writer, however, stated that Greece does not seem willing to let a mosque operate in Thessaloniki.

 

Conde Nast Travel showcases southern-most Laconia

Forget “all-inclusive” resorts, or worse, the dreaded “tourist traps”. The prestigious Conde Nast Travel travel website posted an extensive travelogue of the southern Peloponnese recently, with a particular emphasis on southern-most Laconia prefecture.

Small PPC plan is abandoned

 Gov?t is planning to examine French model of power production auctions for third-party access

By Chryssa Liaggou

The French model will be used for the liberalization of the Greek electrical energy market, according to a speech by Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis at the European Business Summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Panathinaikos power forward Gist to face punishment for doping

Panathinaikos's American power forward James Gist is to face a sports judge for punishment after the National Anti-Doping Council announced Friday that a second test sample of the player showed positive for marijuana use.

Greek media speculated that the punishment for Gist will be hard as it is the second time in Greece that he has tested positive for a forbidden substance.

US urges Athens to focus on TAP, not Turkish Stream

Washington increased the pressure on Athens on Friday to concentrate on the completion of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) rather than devote efforts toward the extension of the planned Turkish Stream pipeline so it runs through Greece.

Greek PM to call European officials in bid to create forward momentum

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is expected to get on the phone over the weekend and speak to a number of euro-area leaders ahead of Monday?s Eurogroup after saying on Friday that Europe has to show strong political will for there to be an agreement between Greece and its lenders soon.

First-ever … Cannabis festival in Athens – Across from Parliament!

The inaugural … Cannabis Festival takes places in central Athens on Saturday in the shadow of the Greek Parliament, with  supporters calling for the decriminalization of the so-called “soft drug” in the east Med country where its (illegal) cultivation is not … unknown.

Erdogan says Greek mosque would lead to Halki opening

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reportedly said he is prepared to reopen the Greek Orthodox Seminary of Halki off the coast of Istanbul if Greece opens a mosque in Thessaloniki.

Pages